Method of forming and packaging flexible material with an inner end payout

ABSTRACT

D R A W I N G A PACKAGE OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL OF THE UNIVERSAL TYPE WITH A RADIAL OPENING INTO THE CENTRAL AXIAL OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE INNER END OF THE MATERIAL IS DRAWN OUT IS WOUND ON A TUBE MOUNTED ON A SPINDLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF WHICH TUBE ARE SECURED SEGMENTAL PARTS HAVING DOWNWARDLY TURNED ENDS, AND END PIECES OF OUTWARDLY CURVED SHAPE, ABUTTING AGAINST THE SEGMENTAL PARTS. AFTER THE PACKAGE IS WOUND, THE TUBE IS REMOVED FROM THE SPINDLE, ONE OF THE END PARTS IS REMOVED, AN END DISCAND A BACKING MEMBER THEREFOR ARE POSITIONED SO TO COMPRESS THE PACKAGE AT ONE END TO FORM A FLAT END WALL, AND SECURED IN THIS POSITION. THEREAFTER THE OTHER END MEMBER IS REMOVED AND AN END DISC AND BACKING MEMBER ARE APPLIED ON THE OTHER END IN THE SAME MANNER. A SHRINK WRAP COVERING IS THEN PLACED AROUND THE PACKAGE INCLUDING THE END DISCS AND IS SHRUNK INTO PLACE. THEREAFTER THE PACKAGE IS REMOED FROM THE TUBE, THE BACKING MEMBERS ARE REMOVED AND SOME OF THE SEGMENTAL PARTS ARE TAKEN OUT THROUGH ONE END OF THE AXIAL OPENING. CONES ARE THEN POSITIONED WITHIN THE CENTRAL AXIAL OPENING, AND SECURED IN POSITION. THE CONES ENGAGE THE REMAINING SEGMENTAL PARTS AND HOLD THEM AGAINST THE INNER WALL OF THE PACKAGE DURING SHIPMENT. WHEN THE PACKAGE IS TO BE PAID OUT, ONE OF THE CONES IS REMOVED, THE REMAINING SEGMENTAL PARTS ARE TAKEN OUT AND THE CONE IS THEN REPLACED.

United States Patent 1191 Newman et al.

[11] 25,13,796 Apr. 16,1974

[ METHOD OF FORMING AND PACKAGING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL WITH AN INNER END PAYOUT I i [Tl 5 Inventors: James H Nicholas M. Bavaro, Mt. Vernon,

both of NY.

[73] Assignee: Windings,Inc.,Yonkers,N.Y.

[22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 226,718

Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jennings Bailey, Jr.

57 'ABSTRACT A package of flexible material of the universal type with a radial opening into the central axial opening through which the inner end of the material is drawn out is wound on a tube mounted on a spindle on the outside of which tube are secured segmental parts having downwardly turned ends, and end pieces of outwardly curved shape, abutting against the segmental parts. After the package is wound, the tube is removed from the spindle, one of the end parts is removed, an end disc and a backing member therefor are positioned so to compress the package at one end to form a flat end wall, and secured in this position.

I Thereafter the other end member is removed and an end disc and backing member are applied on the other end in the same manner. A shrink wrap covering is then placed around the package, including the end discs and is shrunk into place. Thereafter the package is removed from the tube, the backing members are removed and some of the segmental parts are taken out through one end of the axial opening. Cones are then positioned within the central axial opening, .and secured in position. The cones engage the remaining segmental partsand hold them against the inner wall of the package during-shipment. When the package is to be paid out, one of the cones is removed, the remaining segmental parts are taken out and the cone is then replaced.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures METHOD OF FORMING AND PACKAGING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL WITH AN INNER END PAYOUT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a method of forming and packaging flexible material with an inner end payout.

2. The Prior Art- The patent to Taylor US. Pat. No. 3,178,130 shows a package formed on a spindle having downwardly SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a package of flexible material .of the universal type with a radial opening into the central axial opening through which the inner end of the material drawn out is wound on a tube mounted on a spindle on the outside of which.

tube are secured segmental parts having downwardly turned ends, and end pieces of outwardly curved shape, abutting'against the segmental parts. After the package is wound, the tube is removed from the spindle, oneof the end parts is removed, an end disc and a backing member therefor are positioned so to compress the package at one end to form a flat end wall, and secured in this position. Thereafter the other end member is removed and an end package disc and backing member are applied on the other end in the same manner. A shrink wrap covering is then placed around the package including the end discs and is shrunk into place. Thereafter, the'package is removed from the tube, the backing members are removed and some of the segmental parts are taken out through one end of the axial opening. Cones are then positioned within the central axial opening, and secured in position. The cones engage the remaining segmental parts and hold them against the inner wall of the package during shipment. When the package is to be paid out, one of the cones is removed, the remaining segmental parts are taken out and the cone is then replaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in cross-section a package wound on a spindle in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the spindle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlargment of a part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the further procedure according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through a fixed part of a package.

Coming now to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a shaft or spindle 2 having a split end which can be enlarged by a threaded member, this being of well known type. According to the invention, a tube 4 is slipped into the spindle 2 and secured thereon. On'this tube 4 end members 6 are secured by set screws 8. These end members have surfaces 10 outwardly curved in shape. Between these end members are segments 12 and 14,

segments 12 being preferably formed of aluminum and segments 14 of plastic. Each aluminum segment 7 has an annular extent of about 45 and each plastic segment extends approximately These segments have a main cylinder portion 16, downwardly or inwardly curved end portions 18 and flat ends 20 extending radially (see FIG. 3). They are held in place by the fact that the end members 10 slightly overlap the curved portions 18 as shown at 22 in FIG. 3.

The mandrel so formed is utilized in a winding machine having means to move a guide for the flexible material back and forth along the mandrel slightly out of phase with the rotation of the spindle, while the varying relationship at one or more points in each layer so formed so as to form a radial opening into the axial opening. This may for example be done as shown in Taylor U. S. Pat. No. 2,767,938, which forms a socalled plus-minus winding, and an application ofNewman and Bavaro, S.N. 73,802, filed September 21, 1970, now Patent No. 3,666,200 for Pack-age of Flexible Material for Twis tless Payout and Method of Making such Pack-age.

When the package has reached the outer limit, that is the outer edges of the end members 10, winding is stopped, a tube 24 is inserted in the radial opening and the inner end 26 of the material is drawn out from this tube.

The tube 4 is now released from the spindle 2, and the assembled pack-age is moved to another spindle (FIG. 4). Before it is placed on the second spindle, one of the end members 10 is removed and is replaced by an annular member 28, preferably of plastic material, and having a central opening therein of slightly less diameter than the outer diameter of the flat ends 20 of the segments, and a backing member 30 which has a protruding flange 32 fitting closely within the opening in the annular member 28 and anoutwardly extending ring portion 34, which can be secured in place by a set screw 36. The flange 32 provides proper centering for the plastic annular member 28, and the backing member 34 keeps the annular plastic member upright. As is shown in FIG. 4, these parts are pushed on until the flange 32 abuts against one of the end faces 20 of the segments 12,14, thus flattening the outwardly curved end wall of the package and placing it in aradial plane.

The tube 4 is now reversed 'on the spindle, the other end member 10 is removed and is replaced similarly by an annular member 28 and a backing member 30.

Now the resulting package is wrapped with a layer 38 of corrugated paper or the like, which is enclosed within a tubular member 40 of heat shrinkable plastic. Heat isthen applied, for example as shown in Newman et a1. application Ser. No. 146,209, filed May 24, 1971, and the ends of the shrinkwrap 40 are brought around the outer edges of the discs 28. At the same time, a hole is maintained through the wrappings 38 and 40 through which the inner end of the material is brought out.

The package is now removed from the tube 4 by loosening the set screws 36 and the backing members 30 are removed. The plastic segments 14 are then secured by metal clips 42 which engage over the end discs 28 of the package (FIG. 5), being bent down at the outer ends 44 to rest against the outer edges of the disc 28 and which at their end inner ends are bent down at 46 to enter i'nto openings in the ends of the segments 14. The metal segments 12 are removed, which can be done through the open end by pressing the adjacnet plastic segments outwardly.

Now there are insertedinto the ends of the package a pair of cones 48 of the type shown generally in Newman application Ser. No. 113,319, filed February 8, 197 l now US. Pat. No. 3,689,005. The upper ends of these cones, as shown in FIG. 5, engage the inner walls of segments 14 and thus push them against the inner surface of the wound mandrel.

The package is now ready for shipment. During shipment, the stability of the winding is maintained by the fact that the segments 14 are placed outwardly against its inner surface. When the package is to be used, one of the cones is removed, the segments 14 are taken out through the end thus left open and the cone is then replaced. The package is then ready for payout.

We claim:

1. A method of forming a package of flexible material of the universal type having a radial opening into the inner axial opening through which the inner end of the material is brought out which comprises winding the material on a tube having a mandrel formed thereon by a plurality of segmental parts separated by axial planes, and having end faces, and end members at each end of the segmental parts having outwardly sloping guide surfaces, said segmental parts and said end parts being removable from the tube, removing one of the end members from the wound package and applying to the exposed end an annular member of substantially flat shape, pushing such annular member against the end wall of the package until the annular member engages against the end faces of the segmental parts, holding the annular member in such position, repeating said steps at the other end of the package, enclosing the package, removing the enclosed package with the segment parts from the tube, removing some of the segments from within the package and securing the remaining segments in position in the package.

2. In a process as claimed in claim 1, inserting conical members in the ends of the axial openings whereby to push the said remaining segmental parts against the inner wall of the package.

3. In a process as claimed in claim 1, positioning backing and centering members on the outside of the annular members while they are being pushed against the wall of the package and securing said backing and centering members on the tube while the package is being enclosed.

4. In a process as claimed in claim 1, the step of enclosing the package comprising placing -a heatshrinkable plastic around the outside of the package extending beyond the discs, and heat shrinking the plastic to cause it to cover the edge portions of the outer surface of the discs. 

